A bus plowed into a crowd of people in northern Haiti around 3 a.m. Sunday morning, killing at least 34 people and injuring 17.

The bus was driving from Cap Haitien to Port-au-Prince when it crashed into a "rara" parade in the city of Gonaives, reports the AP.

Rara is a type of Haitian music played on traditional instruments, with onlookers often joining in the procession.

Reuters reports that the driver and passengers are being held by police. Following the accident, people began throwing rocks at the bus and other vehicles.

The BBC reports further:

Witnesses gathered at the scene became hostile after seeing the driver attempt to flee, which caused further deaths and injuries, AFP reports, adding that they then tried to set the vehicle alight.

"The people who were not victims of the accident tried to burn the bus with the passengers inside," said Faustin Joseph, a civic protection co-ordinator for the Artibonite region.

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

300x250 Ad

300x250 Ad

Support quality journalism, like the story above, with your gift right now.

Donate